


The Shirt

by WishaDream



Series: Control Shorts [13]
Category: Control (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Femslash February, Flirting, Fluff, Idiots in Love, Mutual Pining, Silly, apologies for its ridiculousness, arish walks in on the scene and completely misunderstands things, i've purposefully made the summary more dramatic than it is, polaris makes an appereance, she has had enough of these two idiots, story just came to my mind and i couldn't help but write it out, that's the the level of sillyness for this story, utterly useless lesbians
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-16 16:55:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29703669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WishaDream/pseuds/WishaDream
Summary: Emily notices something about Jesse's clothes and the Director shares a secret with her that might change things forever.
Relationships: Jesse Faden/Emily Pope
Series: Control Shorts [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2119476
Comments: 4
Kudos: 36





	The Shirt

**Author's Note:**

> Fair warning: I've been writing for this fandom long enough (a month?!) that things are getting weird. But the idea gave me a chuckle so I thought I'd share/inflict this with you. Hopefully you find it amusing/ please don't leave me because of this.

Jesse was sitting in the boardroom getting a report from Emily when she noticed the woman had stopped talking. Looking up from the folder in her hands she found Emily staring at her chest. Frowning.

‘Everything okay, Emily?”

It took her a moment to come out of whatever thought had seized her, as she slowly blinked before lifting her eyes back up to Jesse’s face.

“I just noticed your shirt is on backwards.”

Jesse’s eyebrows knit together curiously as her smile cocked to the side, “And why are you studying my clothes so closely?”

Emily’s frown was thoughtful as her eyes dropped again to Jesse’s chest. No, not chest, her neck, where the collar of her shirt hung.

“I was thinking about how we might need to start considering finding a change of clothes for people. We don’t know how much longer this lockdown will last and things could start to smell.”

Jesse leaned back, smiling as she found Emily’s honesty refreshing.

“Is that the reason you’re wearing it like that,” Emily motioned to Jesse’s shirt with her eyes, “To try and conserve laundry, like how some people wear their underwear inside out.”

Her upper lip curled at the thought as she quickly wiped away the idea with a wave of her hands, ‘Uh no, not even.” Pulling at the collar of her shirt she admitted, “This had been inside out since I got here.”

Emily’s mouth opened as she let out an understanding “Oh, I’ve had days like that.”

Jesse laughed, knowing that Emily did not yet understand what she was saying, “No. That’s not it either,” turning, she checked that the door to the room was closed before looking past Emily to the white boards. Dr. Lake, Emily’s assistant who was usually at the back of the room taking down calculations was not presently with them. Leaning forward, Jesse motioned for Emily to come closer as she confided, “the front of this shirt has something super inappropriate on it.”

She could tell from the way that Emily’s brow furrowed that she did not understand.

“By the time I got to the city it was the only clean shirt I had left. I was more focused on finding my brother than waiting for my better shirts to be clean. So I just put this one on, backwards.”

Emily’s eyes had that spark in them she got when she’d been presented with a problem to solve, “Now I’m super curious to see what it is.”

Jesse leaned back, pushing her chair so that she rolled away from Emily, “Uh, yeah, I don’t know. Your view of me might change after you see it.”

The scientists expression only brightened at the prospect as she said, “Come on, Jesse. You know I hate secrets.”

“Yeah, but more than you hate secrets, I hate the idea of you not liking me anymore.”

Emily touched her chest as she let out a touched “aw.” “But no, seriously, I have to see it. There is nothing your shirt—no, let me retract that before I’ve even finished. I’m hoping there is nothing on the back of your shirt that will change my opinion of you.”

Seeing she wasn’t going to let it go, Jesse ruffled the hair at the back of her head before conceding, “Alright. I’ll show you.”

They both stood, Emily setting her clipboard on the table as she folded her arms, leaning forward slightly as Jesse turned her back to her.

“But you promised.”

Emily nodded when she looked back at her, “No judgment until you’ve had time to explain.”

Sliding her jacket down over her shoulders she let it hang there for a moment as she started to reconsider her choice. Before she could back out of it Emily pulled her jacket down the rest of the way.

“That certainly *is* inappropriate. What are they even…” her head tilted as she leaned to the side as if a different angle might help her see it better, “Oh, I see. Well, that’s an interesting way to go about it.”

She felt heat moved up her neck and cheeks as she quickly explained, ‘It was a dollar at a thrift shop and at the time I thought it was funny. Last time I buy anything drunk.”

Emily’s laugh was light as she stepped back for a moment, holding her hand to her chin as she took a moment to study the image from a distance, “That does explain a lot.”

Jesse could tell Emily was teasing her as she started to turn around to face her. Before she could the board room doors opened as Arish walked into the room.

His head was down, eyes fixed on a file in his hands, “Emily can you explain to me what you--,” his eyes came up just then to find Jesse standing in front of Pope, her jacket half down with Emily standing behind her, eyes intently fixed on Jesse’s back like an art connoisseur at a gallery.

The head of security paused, his eyes widened as he seemed to take in something entirely different than what was actually going on, “Oh, sorry. I’ll uh—leave you to it.”

Jesse called after him, reaching out to him just as the door closed behind him.

Frowning she looked back as she heard Emily let out an amused snort.

‘This is all your fault, you know.”

Emily looked smug as she turned back to pick up her clipboard, ‘I’m not the one that wore an inappropriate shirt to work.”

Letting out a heavy sigh she flicked her jacket back up over her shoulders before pointing an accusatory finger at the blonde, “I’m going to make you pay for this.”

Emily’s smile was coy as she took her seat, “I look forward to it. Might I inquire if it will involve any of the things involved on the back of your shirt?”

Jesse’s face felt as hot as if she was standing in the furnace room. She choked on an answer that would not fully form.

Her response, or lack of response seemed to amuse Emily who returned her eyes to the clipboard, ‘You have amazing shoulders, by the way.”

She said it so coolly, so casually, like they were discussing the HRA design.

‘But I guess you’d have to in order to carry the FBC on them.”

Jesse felt the tension in her chest break as she let out a laugh.

“Thanks to you the burden is a lot lighter.”

Emily lifted her eyes long enough to return Jesse’s smile, “Glad I could help.”

Things seemed to go back to normal after that as Jesse casually leaned back in her chair. Then Emily stopped writing as she looked up, a firm frown on her face.

“I’m sorry, Jesse, you were right. Now that I’ve seen your shirt I can’t look at you the same way.”

The tension only returned for a moment before Jesse noticed the twitch of a smile at the corner of Emily’s mouth.

Her own smile was full as she let out an exasperated, ‘Dang it. It’s because now every time you look at me you imagine that scene on my back.”

“That is it exactly. Now that I know what they are doing back there, it’s all I can see when I look at you.”

“Is there anything I can do to fix it?”

“Take off your clothes.”

She said it so matter-of-factly that Jesse couldn’t help but do a double take as she almost fell out of her seat.

“I’m—what?”

Emily looked thoughtful as her gaze wandered past Jesse to the doors behind her.

“I think I have just the thing for you to change into.”

The thought looked to have gripped her as Jesse watched Emily get up, walking towards the door without explaining herself further. Following her, Emily led her back to the Director’s office. In a cabinet that Jesse hadn’t yet looked into, she still didn’t feel comfortable opening Trench’s things, Emily pulled out a change of clothes. A dark blue suit that looked much like Trench’s.

“Why don’t you see if this fits you?”

Jesse took the clothes, looking them over as she held the jacket up in front of herself, ‘I don’t know, seems a little starchy for me.”

“Only if you let it feel that way. I’m sure you’ll make it your own.”

Emily gave her a playful wink that made her smile.

“Yeah. I guess I can. Thanks, Emily.”

“Hey, it was the least I could do. If anyone found out about that shirt they wouldn’t just judge you, but they would also question my sanity in following someone who finds that kind of art funny.”

Jesse frowned as she watched Emily head out of the room, “Hey, I was drunk.”

Emily smiled as she turned back to pull the doors closed behind her, ‘I’ve never been *that* drunk.”

“You should try it sometime.”

“Only if you promise we can recreate that image.”

She just caught the wicked grin on Emily’s face before she closed the door in front of her. Her own eyes narrowed as she frowned after the woman.

‘I will make you pay for this, Emily Pope.”

With that she changed out of her clothes.

____

Emily was startled as the doors to the board room were suddenly kicked open as Jesse came into the room let out a loud, “Boom baby!”

Though the entrance had stunned her, what made her eyes double in size was what the woman was wearing.

Emily rose from her seat, moving towards the woman as she held out her hand, pausing just over her arm as she asked, ‘Is that the director’s suit—in gold? How is it gold?”

Jesse was grinning triumphantly as she replied, “I found it in the probability room. It was like a reward or something for winning a game of roulette.”

Jesse performed a turn so Emily could take it in, ‘What do you think? You think this better suits me than the blue?”

“It’s certainly…unique.”

Jesse looked at her over her shoulder as Emily started to walk around her, studying each and every part of the suit closer, “In a good way?”

“It’s definitely not—starchy was it?”

Jesse smiled as Emily felt the fabric between her fingers.

‘So you think I pull it off?”

Emily stepped back as Jesse struck a pose.

‘I think it…suits you.”

“Suit. Nice.”

Jesse grinned as Emily looked pleased she’d caught onto her pun.

“But seriously,’ Jesse looked back at the suit as she pulled the jacket tight around her, “do you think it’s too much? Do you think I should try for something more conservative?”

“Conservative isn’t really your style.”

Jesse’s pulse spiked as Emily stepped up to smooth out the collar of her jacket. She remained close as she smiled up at her, taking another moment to brush at Jesse’s shoulders. Shoulders she’d just complimented the other day.

_Do you think I should tell her now that I’m not wearing underwear? No, you’re right. Let’s see how long it takes her to notice._

Heading back to her seat, Emily gave Jesse a curious smile, “What?”

Jesse smiled, pleased by her new little secret, “Nothing.”

Emily’s eyebrow lifted like she didn’t believe her, but she did not press her.

“Well, since you’re here I can update you on what we’ve found out about the Hiss.”

As Emily got lost in the details of her report Jesse adjusted her position on her seat, her mouth scrunching in discomfort.

_Maybe going commando wasn’t the best idea. Gonna need to find a new secret to hide from Emily._

Polaris flashed for a moment as Jesse frowned.

_What do you mean “my feelings?” I’m not hiding any feelings from Emily._

If an extra dimensional being with no corporeal form could roll their eyes Polaris would have done so then.

Not understanding what Polaris was going on about, Jesse tuned back into Emily’s discourse, leaning forward as she rested her chin on her hand.

She may have had “amazing shoulders” but Emily had the best lips in all the FBC. And eyes, she couldn’t forget her eyes which sparkled every time she was talking about something she found exciting. Everything about her when she was excitedly talking about something was precious and cute. The way she leaned forward, the way her hands got all animated as they flew about her body as she talked. There was not one thing about her that Jesse didn’t admire.

_Why are you repeating “admire” sarcastically? Hey, there’s no reason to call names._

+

Emily could tell Jesse wasn’t really listening to her talk; she looked to be lost in her own thoughts. Probably thinking about all the things she still had left to do in order to bring the lockdown to the end. Jesse was so focused on her work Emily wondered if she ever took time for herself.

_I’ll have to set something up. Some downtime where she can just have some time to herself._

While she talked about the Hiss, reading off the report, at the back of her mind she considered what she could set up for Jesse. Perhaps a room at the Oceanview Motel could be set up as a getaway. A space where Jesse could go to just get away and forget about all her responsibilities as Director.

Emily wouldn’t mind a space like that for herself. A place where she could just be Emily Pope.

Perhaps if she asked her Jesse would let her join her in her escape room. A room that could be just for the two of them.

Out of nowhere a feeling like a voice came to her with the thought of, _Useless Lesbians._

Frowning she made a quick note on the side of the page, “Hearing voices. Might need sleep.”

The feeling came again, this time like a groan.

She circled the word “sleep.”


End file.
